All in a Sabbath day`s walk

The disciples were able to explain a particular distance through their spiritual disciplines. What priority do we place on our faith journey?

Acts 1.12-26

Reference: v. 12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. (NIV Bible)

Explore: I was interested to read that the disciples walked a particular distance on this day and it was described as 'a Sabbath day's walk'. This distance was about 3/4 mile, which is just over 1 km. The Sabbath had such importance at that time that if someone was to say 'a Sabbath day's walk' they would know how far that meant. Just like when we say I'll have a dozen please, most people would know we're asking for 12 items. The guidelines of the Sabbath were known and followed so specifically that it was part of their descriptive language.

Application: I guess that begs the question: what priority do we put on our spiritual disciplines? How impressive would our faith journey be if our prayer time was so regular that when our family asked how long until tea time we could answer by saying, 'It will be ready in a prayer time,' and they would know exactly what time you were talking about. Sometimes I feel we are continually chipping away at our spiritual rituals. We struggle to put five minutes aside to read the Bible each day, we're too busy to join a week night Bible study group and we complain when the Church service runs 15 minutes too long. How do you think the disciples would react to our complaints after all the priority they placed on the Holy day? How do you think our Creator, who gives us a sunrise each new day, breath in our lungs and the grace of our Saviour, how do you think He would respond to our lack of priority on the elements that help us to get closer to Him?Today, may we be reminded that God is the most important element in our whole lives. Without Him, we are nothing. May we be challenged to make Him as big a priority as He has made us.

Prayer: Lord, you have truly given us everything, and yet we are often reluctant to give you our best. May you be our number 1 priority today and always. Amen.

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Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible.
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